Shadowed Destiny 2
by Flipper Boid Skua
Summary: The auras return and this time, they're after all the Legendaries. Only two are immune, but knowing their personalities, will they help? Lunareclipseshipping, Godmodeshipping, and Bluebirdshipping!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. Accept that!

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Prologue

Emergency

Ho-oh flew over the dense forest towards the large lake that took the place of the sea. Normally, she would stay away from any bodies of water, but it was her turn to get all the Legendaries to Arceus' place for a conference. She was on her way to Rayquaza's place when she flew over a half-wrecked abandoned human building.

She scowled, waondering why humans just leave their useless buildings laying around. The least they could do is get rid of the structures after using them! With a sigh, she decided that she'll just do it herself. Circling, she used a Flamethrower to set the complex on fire.

Smirking at what she perceives to be a great accomplishment, she stuck around, avoiding the black smoke that was rising from the remains, making sure her fire didn't spread into the forest. Celebi, Shaymin, and Suicune would kill her if that happened…

Her grin slowly started to fade and her scarlet eyes narrowed slightly as she spied a dark…something, very unlike the smoke. It looked more like mist than the tarry black clouds. She stopped her circling and flew closer to investigate.

"What is th-…" Her mutter was interrupted when the mysterious mist surged forward into her beak. As a reflex, a Flamethrower launched from her throat. Stopping her attack and shaking her head, she stared at the remaining auras in wide-eyed disbelief.

The mists moved closer, touching her body as they surrounded her. Even through her thick coat, she could feel the cold chill that the contact of these things gave her. Starting to panic, she bolted past the auras, some of which clung to her as she did so.

The phoenix shrieked in terror and an aura tried to charge into her throat. Again, she reacted with a defensive Flamethrower. After the attack, however, yet another dark mist surged into her mouth before she could close it. Realizing that it was too late for another fire move, she coughed and wagged her crested head frantically.

Opening an eye to a slit, she saw Sky Tower and a new hope coursed through her. If she gets there, she'll be safe! That's the only thought that went into her head. The Legendary bird flapped her wings faster, successfully losing some of her assaulters.

Suddenly, Ho-oh felt a painful freeze take hold of her heart. She cried out, clamping her eye shut again. Without thinking, she folded her wings, pressing them against her chest. Her body started to fall, the wind forcing the other auras off.

Just as she seemed doom to crash, Ho-oh recovered enough to snap her wings open and take to the air, hurrying to the tower. She didn't know why her heart aches so much or why her mind was starting to go black around the edges, so to speak. All she knew was that she had to get to that tower and get help…fast!

"Ray!" she managed to call out as she arrived, landing clumsily as the said dragon instantly woke from his nap. He was surprised at the fellow Legendary's condition. The normally put-together feathers that she took so much pride in was now ruffled and messy. Her wings and tail was dragging on the ground as she staggered unsteadily.

Finally, with a pain-filled groan, she collapsed, unconscious…

--

"What happened?" Kyogre asked Groudon as she approached the crowd of Legendaries. Ever since the 'shadow incident' about a few months ago, she has been late to almost every gathering, mostly due to her still-healing wounds and the bandage wrappings that covered them.

The Ground-type looked at her. "Something's happened to Ho-oh. We're trying to figure out what it is." With a bewildered look, Kyogre floated above the crowd with the other aerial Legendaries in order to see the source of all this.

The immobile bird in question lay in the center, with Arceus and Giratina on either side and Rayquaza hovering at front. The curious orca listened in on the conversation the trio was having, ignoring the mumblings of the other Pokemon.

"I don't know how this happened. She just literally collapsed at my doorstep." Rayquaza said, a rare look of concern on his face. After the pheonix's arrival, he managed to carry her (Like most other birds, Ho-oh's light for her size) here to Arceus' place.

Giratina lowered his gold and grey head to get a closer look at the fallen Legendary. "She's probably sick." His red eyes rose to look at Arceus. "Fire Legendaries are prone to stuff like that."

Though the goddess agreed with that last statement, she shook her head. "I doubt it…Moltres, Entei, and Heatran never gave out. And Ho-oh's past illnesses never ended like this."

Giratina flinched his beak-like mouth in thought. As much as he hated to admit it, Arceus made a good point. Straightening out, he twitched his tail as a shrugging gesture.

"Maybe it's a new illness." Was his next suggestion. Arceus was about to nod when a small high-pitch voice rang out.

"I'll be the judge of that!" it went. Giratina and Rayquaza almost let out a groan and Arceus made a small huff.

"Dear Me, no…" she muttered as Mew came in a doctor's outfit and a stethoscope around his neck. The pink Legendary landed his big feet next to the motionless phoenix and took out a thermometer and stuck it into Ho-oh's beak.

Rayquaza rolled his eyes and Giratina shook his head. Mew waited for the device to beep, puny arms crossed and one foot tapping the ground. When he finally got impatient and took it out, his eyes widened at the result.

"Whoa! She's got it worse than a fever!" he claimed.

"She's a Fire-type, damn it! What do you expect?" Darkrai, who was also listening to the conversation, snapped. Deoxys, having enough of this stupidity, flew down and settled next to the 'doctor'. She snatched the stethoscope.

"Gimme that." She grumbled. She held the earpiece to one of the trapezoid projections on the side of her head that's actually her ear. She put the bell part of the device against Ho-oh's chest. "Damn feathers…" she cursed. She moved some of the thick coat aside and finally managed to get the bell in contact with the bird's skin.

The moment that happened, the phoenix shot her head up with a scream. The Legendaries cringed, some jumped at the outburst.

"Get away from me!" she screeched.

"Ho-oh, it's okay. It's just us." Kyogre comforted, floating down to join them. The Legendary bird paused, eyes wide, breathing heavy.

"I felt something cold…please tell me they're not back…" the distressed avian muttered. At her own words, she winced, placing a wing on her chest.

"Who?" Arceus asked softly, trying not the further startle her. Ho-oh lowered her head to the ground, her breaths becoming more labored by the second. She coughed and a slither of a stray aura floated out.

Everyone, especially Kyogre and Groudon, moved back, exchanging glanced as the aura disintegrated, and Ho-oh closed her eyes as darkness overwhelmed her again.

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First chapter of the new sequel! Hope you guys like this, took me a while to actually consider submitting it...Please review!


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

Thank you goldeneye101 and theredone1223 for reviewing! I'm glad you guys liked it! I hope to hear some more from you!

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Chapter 1

Resorts

"We have to get rid of her." Rayquaza said, looking at Ho-oh's body with anger and disgust, like she really did have some hideous disease. His comment brought a menacing smirk on Giratina's snout.

"I say, send her to _my_ place...if you get what I'm saying..." He chuckled darkly. To everyone's surprise and horror, Rayquaza nodded.

"And we should do so _before_ she's able to fight back. Shadows aren't the easiest thing to beat, you know." With that said, the dragon snapped open his mouth and charged a Hyper Beam. Giratina laughed, narrowed his eyes at the phoenix, then formed a Shadow Ball in his own mouth. Even Darkrai took to readying a Dark Pulse.

The other Legendaries, except for Arceus, who seemed too deep in thought to notice what's happening, moved back, not wanting to be hit by the trio of attacks. The powerful Pokemon unleashed their chosen attacks on Ho-oh and it seemed to be the end for the bird...

Until Lugia and Cresselia threw themselves in front of her, setting up a barrier defense. Cresselia's force field blocked Darkrai's attack while Lugia's larger shield stopped Rayquaza's and Giratina's. There was silence as the five Legendaries glared at eachother.

"There must be a less extreme alternative. One that doesn't include killing or otherwise harming my counterpart." Lugia said. Rayquaza growled, crossing his arms.

"It's better to kill her now than for her to kill us later. For all we know, that shadow aura inside her is just waiting for the right moment to take over and strike." the dragon made his point. Cresselia was quick to counter it with her own.

"_And_, for all we know, there isn't enough of this aura to further infect her and she'll recover if given the time."

"Letting her live is a dangerous risk, one we shouldn't be taking." Giratina told them. Suicune moved up and sat beside Lugia.

"Killing Ho-oh when it might not be needed is another risk we shouldn't be taking."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Rayquaza asked in a voice that hinted that he'll go on a rampage soon. Normally that's Kyogre's and Groudon's think, so to see him edging towards it was a rare occurance...

Lugia, Cresselia and Suicune sighed, not knowing how to respond. Deoxys stepped forward, morphed her DNA shaped arms into more human ones, and crossed them over her jeweled chest.

"What about a type of quarantine? That way, we'll be able to make a better decision." she said. Arceus nodded and broke her silence.

"That is an excellent idea Deoxys." The alien Legendary nodded at the praise as the goddess moved next to Ho-oh. "We will keep her in my quarantine room. There, we will wait and see if Ho-oh recovers."

Giratina smirked. "And if not?" Arceus sighed, glancing at the feathered Pokemon laying at her feet.

"On the event that she does turn into a shadow..." She turned a hard gaze on the death dragon. "Then _you_ will take the nessecary action."

--

Ho-oh, face clamped in visible pain, moaned as she was layed in the center of a sterile white room. This room served as a place where Arceus keeps sick Legendaries, in order to keep their illness from spreading.

Arceus and the rest of the Legendaries that helped her (Groudon, Palkia, and Deoxys) moved out of the room, the door closing, and looked in at the phoenix from a large glass wall.

"Do you think that she'll get better?" Groudon asked the goddess, who didn't remove her gaze from the bird.

"I hope so. Yet what I don't understand is why she didn't turn into a shadow immediately, like what happened to you and Kyogre." Groudon nodded in agreement, though he was uneasy that the all-knowing Arceus doesn't understand something.

His anxiety calmed at Palkia's responding words. "Maybe Cresselia was right. Maybe she didn't get enough to turn her evil and stuff." he said, shifting his metallic wings. Arceus smiled and nodded.

"Perhaps...perhaps..."

--

It was midnight and Darkrai, never one to sleep, floated towards Arceus' fridge. All the Legendaries insisted on staying at the goddess' place until Ho-oh's fate is decided, for the better or the worse. Personally, Darkrai really didn't give a damn about this, but he might as well stay like everyone else.

He opened the fridge, wincing at the bright light that came on in response, which highly contrasted with the almost pitch blackness to the room. The light also illuminated the Pokemon that were sleeping near (or in) the kitchen. Taking a rice ball, his eyes flickered to a hovering, motionless figure. When he closed the door, he crossed his arms and gave a huff.

It was tempting to give his sleeping counterpart the worst nightmare in the history of worst nightmares. Just as he was about to, Cresselia mumbled ominously in her sleep:

"Darkrai, if you do anything, I swear, I'll hunt you down and tear you apart bit by sorry bit..." It was scary how she does that...The Dark-type quickly got out of there. Slowing his retreat, Darkrai sighed and went to eat the snack he took.

But before he could even take a nibble, something else caught his eye. The light from Ho-oh's room showed a shadow of distinct shape. Darkrai rolled his eyes, wondering if it was worth his effort to go there. Deciding that he really didn't have anything else to do, he moved towards the room, looking over the corner.

There, he found Giratina standing motionless, staring through the glass at Ho-oh, waiting like a vulture with a smirk that widened at each of the bird's labored breaths. Darkrai hovered next to the fellow Legendary and turned his attention to the phoenix.

He knew why the death dragon was so interested in her. It seemed to him that the Fire/Flying-type's condition had only gotten worse since before. If she were to go shadow, that will give enough permission for Giratina to 'offer' her a permanent stay at his place...

"It won't be long now..." the dragon muttered patiently as Ho-oh weakly shifted her position with a whimper. Darkrai shifted his hold on the rice ball.

"You've been here all night?" he asked in a monotone voice. Giratina nodded, narrowing his eyes.

"And she has been getting worse and worse. I'm assuming that she'll give in sometime soon. Tonight, I hope." Darkrai couldn't help but tilt his head up to look at the larger Pokemon.

"You're probably the only one here wishing for this to happen." This received a dark laugh from the satanic creature.

"Maybe so, my friend..." The Legendary of the Underworld looked down at Darkrai and widened his grin. "But perhaps your not so different?"

Darkrai shrugged. "I couldn't really care less on what happens. As long as this whole thing doesn't affect me." He stared at the riceball in his claws and found that he wasn't all that hungry after all. "Riceball?" he offered flatly to Giratina. The death Pokemon nodded and opened his mouth to catch the snack Darkrai flicked up. As Darkrai disappeared without another word, Giratina continued to stay...

And wait for the shadow auras to do what they do best...Afterall...

It won't be long now...

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Poor Ho-oh...defenseless against her fellow Legendaries. And even when they decide to help, there's always Giratina there watching...which isn't very reassuring...If you wonder what's going on in her head, the next chappy will help! Please review until I post it!


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

YAY!! You guys reviewed again! Thank you goldeye101, theredone1223, and SilverUmbra (glad you found it)! I'm hoping this story has as much support as the first story did...

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Chapter 2

Submission

Early morning, and Ho-oh received more visitors. Lugia, along with his trio, wandered over and paused when they saw Giratina. The said dragon turned his gaze to them and grinned.

"What are you doing here?" Articuno asked. Giratina tilted his head to the side and looked back a Ho-oh.

"Waiting." he gave a simple answer. Zapdos mumbled something coherent. Knowing him, it was probably an insult that was best left unheard. Lugia shot the other bird a glance, then turned back to Giratina.

"Can we?" he asked in a polite tone. The death Legendary twitched his tail and backed up a bit, nodding. With a chuckle, he strode past the birds and turned the corner to continue on out of sight. The four remaining Pokemon looked in at the phoenix.

Ho-oh was crying, moaning, and whimpering much more frequently now. The feathers on her face was matted with tears and an occasion shudder went through her body. It was quite obvious that she was in great pain.

"Ho-oh..." Lugia muttered as he watched his counterpart suffer. Articuno pressed herself against him, having come in order to support the Sea Guardian. Moltres, who felt compassion for Ho-oh beyond friendship, swallowed a lump in his throat and fought to hold back his tears. Zapdos, who was actually forced to come by his three companions, kept a blank, emotionless expression, pondering on how long he has to be here...

"I hope Ho-oh will be okay." Articuno muttered softly. Zapdos rolled his eyes and shifted his weight impatiently.

--

Meanwhile, Ho-oh's mind was as black as it could possibly be. And yet, despite that, dark auras lingered visibly. The phoenix's 'consiounce', so to speak, weakly opened her eyes, rose her head, and looked around. She could just make out the mists and made no reaction, her face blank.

Ho-oh watched listlessly as all the auras clumped together and before she knew it, pure red glowing eyes glared at her. The bird only slightly tilted her head to show her confusion.

An airy hiss came from the auras, along with a voice that made some of her feathers stand on end instinctively.

"You'll submit to us, yes?" Ho-oh once again put up an air of disinterest and lowered her gaze.

"What do you want from me?" she muttered. The red eyes narrowed.

"Power...A powerful host..." A growl came up. "A host that will submit to us."

Ho-oh lowered her head back down and closed her eyes. "Anything to make the pain go away."

"...Good answer..." was all the Legendary heard before she faded away completely.

--

Lugia and his trio paused as they stared at Ho-oh, where dark mists were seeping out of her beak. Articuno pressed herself even tighter against Lugia. "What's happening?"

"Maybe the auras are finally leaving." Moltres suggested nervously. Zapdos grunted in doubt and they continued to speculate as the dark substances coated over the bird. Her observers tensed and ruffled their wings.

Finally, Ho-oh snapped open her now pure red glowing eyes and stared at her audience, getting to her feet. The other birds stared back, amazed at the phoenix's color change. Her feathers were now chiefly black with her once white underbelly grey. Her crest and tail feathers were red and the green markings on her neck and wings were a cold blue. The black bordering of her eyes had turned into a dark purple. Even her beak darkened to match her still-black legs.

"It's...Shadow Ho-oh!" Moltres exclaimed in panic.

"Oh snippity snap snappers..." Articuno muttered as said shadow launched a Sacred Fire at the glass. The attack broke through easily and the ice bird was hit and sent crashing into the wall.

"Articuno!" Lugia exclaimed. The blue avian moaned, already close to fainting. Shadow Ho-oh flew through the shattered wall and practically landed on Articuno, pinning the other bird down. The arctic Legendary opened her eyes and stared at the shadow in horror. Ho-oh opened her beak and Articuno cringed, expecting another fire attack.

It didn't happen. Instead more auras rushed out and flowed to Articuno's face. Said bird, realizing what's happening, held her breath, clamped her beak shut, and turned her head away. Ho-oh's eyes narrowed and she snapped her beak at the auras, gathering them in her mouth. Then, without hesitation, she bit Articuno as hard as she could on the right shoulder.

The ice bird screamed at the pain, feeling the auras enter her body through her already bleeding wound. The evil mists felt cold, even for her...

Zapdos, being the first to recover, narrowed his own eyes and sparked angrily. The static caught the shadow's attention and she released her hold on the Ice-type. Zapdos released a rather strong Thunderbolt and it was a direct hit.

Ho-oh screeched loudly and luck must have been on their side, for the phoenix became paralyzed. Lugia took advantage, and attacked with his most powerful Aeroblast. The shadow was thrown against another wall and fell to the ground, where she seemed to have blacked out. For more secure measures, Zapdos used a Thunder to finish her off.

Moltres hurried to his fallen counterpart and Lugia, panting to recover his used energy, also turned to her. The Sea Guardian nudged her and she groaned and opened her eyes.

"What's going to happen to me now?" she asked in a beseeching tone, her eyes watering. The tears, as soon as they were free from her face, froze and shattered on the ground. Lugia and Moltres exchanged worried glances. Articuno sniffled. "Am I infected?"

As much as they didn't want to, the duo nodded sadly. Zapdos could be heard still attacking the unconsious shadow and growling curses at the dark fire bird (and everyone else in the world)...

Articuno sobbed, pressing her left wing to her injury. She winced and whined as coldness unbearable even for the Ice Legendary overtook her chest. Lugia lowered his head as Moltres muttered a question under his breath.

"What do we do...?"

"KILL THEM ALL, ARCEUS DAMMIT!!" Zapdos yelled at the top of his lungs in the background, now kicking the larger bird. Lugia, ignoring the lightning bird, sighed dejectedly. He looked at Articuno to find that she had fainted. He picked her up in his wings and started to carry her to where he knew Arceus would be.

Moltres followed, wings dragging in sadness. Zapdos looked at the retreating birds, back at the shadow...back at his companions. Then with a growl, he gave one last kick on the shadow before hurrying to catch up with the others.

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Oh no! Ho-oh's a shadow and Articuno is infected! And I'm ignoring the ten pound chocloate bar in my kitchen! What has the world come to!? Anywho, please review and tell me what you think, kay!


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

Reviews! Whoot whoot! As usual, time to thank...-clears throat- Today, I'd like to thank goldeneye101 and theredone1223 (caps rule!) YAYZ!! :3

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Chapter 3

Help

Articuno whimpered as she opened her eyes to see all the other legendaries, some of which were staring at her. Her head jerked from one to another, then looked at her pained shoulder, where her soft blue feathers were matted with blood. She winced as Lugia next to her gently placed a wing on it.

She could hear Arceus and Giratina speaking to each other in hushed tones. She struggled to hear what they were saying.

"...room was destroyed." Arceus said. "So where should we put her?" Articuno heard a growl from the death dragon.

"We _shouldn't_ put her anywhere. She _should_ be destroyed, like we _should've _done to Ho-oh." The ice bird could tell that Giratina was angry, and despite his sadistic attitude, his rage was indeed very rare. At his words, she closed her eyes, wishing that she hadn't woken up at all. And even with her efforts to ignore what everyone was saying, her hearing picked up little pieces of conversation from the other Pokemon.

"...oyed Ho-oh while we had the chance. Now..."

"...bird. Must be hard knowing..."

"...be a shadow soon. Wonder..."

"Don't worry." Articuno startled at the soft words spoken beside her. Lugia sat down alongside, leaning gently while folding a wing over her. "I'll protect you from the others, even if it kills me."

Articuno tried to smile though the pain she was in and she felt the larger bird nuzzle her cheek. After what seemed like forever, Arceus finally addressed the crowd.

"Due to unfortunate circumstances, quarantine for Articuno is not an option. And we know she is infected, though how long it would take for her to become a shadow is unknown."

She paused to see if any Legendary had anything to say. Rayquaza moved forward.

"And we shouldn't wait and see. That was the mistake we made with Ho-oh. Let's not repeat it with Articuno." The majority of the others nodded, even some of those who was against it before. Arceus sighed as Rayquaza added to his statements. "Death is the only option we have now."

The goddess nodded softly. "I have spoken with my...counterpart..." she looked at Giratina, who, instead of smirking, had a stern look on his face. "...and he too has brought up points to support that."

"So..." Lugia muttered, staying at his lover's side. It was obvious that he wasn't approving of this at all. Arceus sighed again, ears lowering ever so slightly. Her eyes were purple with hurt.

"I know this isn't easy for you. You have a very strong bond with Articuno, but-" Lugia became the first to ever interrupt Arceus.

"I won't let you hurt her!" he hissed, putting up a barrier around himself and the blue bird beside him. He'll ensure that no attack will ever come into contact with Articuno...not if he's able to do anything about it.

"Lugia, this is how it has to be. She'll become a shadow and we have to stop it _before_it happens." Rayquaza said in a rare, almost comforting voice. The Sea Guardian shook his head and growled, opening his mouth aggressively.

"Look at her, Lugia." Giratina muttered. "She's suffering great pain only to become something she and everyone else is against. Life is not worth it in her situation."

The silver bird huffed, still not wanting to give up on the promise he made not too long ago. Kyogre moved forward and Lugia glared at her too. However the orca only smiled gently and it was clear that she was on his side.

"I have an idea that might help." she said to every Legendary. "I know someone, a human friend that would be able t-"

"A human?" Dialga questioned, her large head tilting at the word. Kyogre nodded and Groudon came forward to join his counterpart.

"Humans made these shadow auras. So we have to accept the fact that they probably know more about this than we do."

"We should do this for Artciuno and Ho-oh, too. The human I knew was able to save Groudon and I, and she was able to purify us back when we were shadows."

Arceus was nodding, considering what the two were saying. They were bringing up some really good points. And the goddess couldn't see any harm in it. Though she knew that if they were going to get help, it had to be done quickly, while there's still time for the ice Legendary. Maybe they should give this a try...

"Alright." Cresselia spoke up. "Assuming that this human can help, how will we find her? There's a lot of humans out there."

At this Kyogre smiled, knowing the answer easily through her own experience. "She goes to the lake everyday at around this time. And she stays there for a few hours, to feed Karpie and relax a bit." Groudon nodded, still smiling at the irony Kyogre's pet Magikarp brought.

"We'll need someone fast to go and get this girl. If what Kyogre and Groudon say is true, then this human might be able to save Articuno and return Ho-oh back to normal." Arceus said. The other Legendaries looked amongst themselves, trying to see who's the best candidate to go.

"I would do this myself." Kyogre said. "Since she knows me...but with my wounds, I don't think I'll be fast enough."

"We might have enough speed." Entei said. "But perhaps a flier should go, you know, to avoid having to go through difficult landmarks."

At this, Lugia disintegrated the barrier he made and he stood. "I'll go. I'm use to humans riding on my back and I'd say I'm pretty decent when it comes to speed."

That was an understatement. Lugia was one of the fastest among them. Some of the others nodded and Arceus paused thoughtfully. Lugia continued, looking at the now sleeping Legendary next to him.

"Plus, I'll do anything for Articuno's sake. Just promise me that no harm will come to her while I'm gone." Everyone nodded, including Rayquaza (who, for once, was willing to try) and Giratina (who was just plain patient about all this). Lugia nodded back and moved towards the exit. The others followed him and the bird looked back at Kyogre. "The lake?"

The orca nodded and Lugia spread his wings and went off into the air with the first flap. Stirring up quite a wind that would make Suicune jealous, Lugia rose higher and flew towards his destination.

--

Arceus moved alone down the hall towards the broken quarantine room. She was going for a couple of reasons: to check on the damage done and to see Ho-oh herself. After all, the birds reassured her that the shadow was unconscious and most likely to be still laying where they left her. However... Arceus stopped dead in her tracks, a rare look of horror and confusion taking over her face.

Ho-oh was gone...And there was a growl behind the goddess...

* * *

Run, Arceus Run! What will happen to the most powerful Pokemon? Will she get infected too? Or will she be able to hold her own? Please review so I can continue!


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

Thank you for reviewing, goldeneye101 theredone1223 and riku50. (so...many...numbers...) And as for the shippings, it's starting in this chappy! :D

* * *

Chapter 4

Assistance

Arceus snapped around and came face-to-face with Shadow Ho-oh. Before the goddess could react or even cry out in alarm, the dark phoenix tackled her into the wall. Arceus flattened her ears, bristled her fur, and growled softly. Her now angry red eyes met Ho-oh's.

The said bird smirked and opened her beak. The Creator didn't hesitate. She tucked in her hind legs and kicked out. Ho-oh was snet tumbling off, trying to catch her balance by flaring her wings. The breath seemed to be knocked right out of her lungs.

Arceus stood back up as the shadow coughed and shook her head before recovering. Then she spoke in a low hissing voice.

"You're certainly more powerful than you look. But what's to expect from the _great _Goddess known as Arceus." The shadow gave a taunting bow and the other Legendary was reminded of Giratina's sarcasm. She tried to ignore this and only flicked her tail to show her annoyance.

Ho-oh straightened out and cocked her head, examining the slightly smaller Legendary before her. Her smirk widened. "Now imagine how much more powerful you'll be as a shadow."

At this, Arceus felt her lips pull back to bare her teeth and she stomped one golden paw. The dark bird wasn't fazed by this show of anger. She just chuckled and took to the air as the goddess let out a powerful Hyper Beam. The beam dispersed as it destroys part of the wall and ceiling and Arceus turned to keep the shadow in sight.

Ho-oh launched a Sacred Fire and the goddess of Legendaries dashed quickly out of the way. The phoenix circled around, about to try again. But Arceus was not going to give her a chance. With her Gravity attack, she increased the Earthward pull against the bird.

The Fire/Flying type struggled to stay in the air. She will not allow herself driven to the ground. Never! Arceus ground her teeth in frustration and heightened the strain. The bird's wing strokes became harder and this soon turned to a battle of wills.

A battle Arceus was sure to win. Ho-oh crashed to the floor, then attempted to stand, but the gravity did not make that possible. She wasn't restrained for long. Arceus released the shadow and winced at the painful headache that gripped her being. Shaking her head to clear it, she glared at the bird.

Ho-oh stood back up, ruffling her dark coat. She turned to face the goddess and jumped back with a startled grunt when a Shadow Ball streaked past her, missing by mere inches. The attack destroyed another part of the wall and the duo turned to look at the source.

Giratina was glaring at Ho-oh, a deep growl coming from his throat. The phoenix stared back with a look that suggested she was trying to find out who he was. She reached a conclusion and grinned before giving another bow.

"Giratina, Guardian of the Underworld. How nice to see you." she said. She was just as sarcastic as before. The larger Legendary didn't stop growling, but he smirked in return. He glanced at his counterpart.

"See, Arceus. Why not greet me like that everyday?" he asked. Arceus frowned, not knowing which of the two was more annoying to have around.

This time, Ho-oh didn't even stand straight before preparing a Flamethrower for Giratina. But before the move could even be launched, a metal swan slammed into the shadow's side, knocking her down. Cresselia backed up to avoid the bird's snapping beak.

Ho-oh stood up to her feet and tumbled when a Dark Pulse hit her from behind. Jerking her head around, she saw Darkrai materialize from a shadow on the wall. The evil avian made a grumbling sound as she looked around. She was surrounded by extremely powerful Pokemon. She sensed that there was no way for her to win this battle on her own.

Before anyone could attack her further, she flew into the air and zoomed out the hole to the outside as fast as she could. She'll find another way to infect the whole lot of them...sooner or later... She already knew a plan to subdue that Arceus...She may be a goddess, but she won't be able to battle every single shadow Legendary at the same time... A devious smile came across her beak as she followed the aerial path of Lugia.

He was alone, she can sense him...she'll take him down next...

--

"Coward." Giratina hissed.

Darkrai just stared at the damaged roof blankly before retreating back into the wall. Cresselia nodded at Arceus and went back to watch over Articuno while Lugia was gone. The duo alone, Arceus was about to take leave herself.

"You were having fun, weren't you?" Giratina asked, starting to follow her. Arceus didn't look at him. "Luckily for you, I came by."

"I didn't need your help. I was doing just fine on my own." she insisted. Giratina smirked.

"Sure you were." he said mockingly. Arceus' eyes turned red again and she glared at him.

"It's not like I was dying on the floor or something." she muttered with a snarl. Giratina tilted his small head, an amused look on his face. Nobody should be surprised. Any talk of death always caught his interest.

"I won't be so sure of that. If I came any later, that might be the scene I would walk into." At this, his grin widened, imagining the scenario. Arceus didn't say anything, still fuming. She turned her head away from her counterpart, but she couldn't help but think a little.

Would she really be able to have defeated Shadow Ho-oh on her own? She didn't know. It seemed like they were equally matched...but who could be sure? What if she _was _going to lose?...Would she be more accepting to Giratina's help? Or would she still be annoyed with it?

She sighed. She wasn't used to having so much questions. "Thank you...for your help, I mean." she said softly. Giratina looked at her for a moment, seemingly trying to consider something. Then, with a chuckle, he did something completely out of character. He leaned his head closer and gave her a very brief, and yet loving, nuzzle. Arceus was in shock.

"You're welcome." he said before stalking off in another direction, leaving the goddess still standing there in stunned disbelief. She soon snapped out of it and felt something coming to her face. A smile...

...And then a blush...

* * *

Just a _little _fluff in this chappy. Might as well start with some of the shippings, eh? Next chappy will be with Cresselia and Darkrai...Plus Articuno goes shadow! And!...I'm not gonna give anything else away. You'll just have to review and see!


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

O...m...g... Been _years _since I've updated. But like I love to emphasize, none of my Incomplete stories are dead, just delayed indefinitely. Of course, my writing style's changed to include more details. As a test, I will write this chapter in my current style, then ask you readers if you like that style or wish for my older one.

* * *

Chapter 5

Showdown

Less than an hour after Shadow Ho-oh retreated, Darkrai made his way down the halls, once more having that bored expression on his face. Sometimes he wondered why he kept sticking around, but really the outside world wouldn't be any better. And he had to repeat that to himself over and over to his restless mind. It was boring here, yes, but...

Movement caught his eye and he looked into Cresselia's assigned room very carefully. After all, Cresselia's like a time bomb that can go off at any moment and when she does, it's almost always directed at him for some odd reason. So much as peeking into her room could set her off, but it seemed he was lucky today. Cresselia had all her attention on the ice bird she had on her bed, looking worried. Darkrai was silent, wondering what to do from here. As a rule, he tried his best to stay away from his PMS-ing counterpart but it seemed obvious that someone should talk to her... Someone that wasn't him...

He was about to leave silently when Cresselia, obviously knowing of his presence (it _still_ scared him how she does that), spoke softly: "I don't know if she's going to make it." Darkrai froze, having expected pain for intruding, before looking back to her. She wasn't looking at him, though she kept on talking. "Hopefully, the human arrives shortly." The phantom quirked an eyebrow and crossed his arms a bit.

"You actually _want_ a human here?" And all this time, he thought it was all talk.

"If she's the only one who can help Articuno, then yes." the moon Pokemon said with what sounded like a smile. Yeah right, a smile... Since when did she ever smile in his presence? But on the slim chance that was spoken with such a kind expression, it was gone now as she glanced at him. "It still confuses me how you can be so...impartial with all this."

Darkrai shrugged, arms still crossed. "I'm not always 'impartial'. Just for boring stuff like this."

"Boring?" Cresselia said sharply; ah, here it comes. He braced himself, although no pain came, not yet. "You find this all boring?"

"Kinda."

"Darkrai, this is dangerous. These auras are out to take our bodies, to wreak destruction upon this world, beyond a scale ever seen before. Ho-oh's changed and Articuno's at risk. It's only a matter of time before we're all at risk as well. And your honestly telling me that you find all this _boring_?" she snapped, eyes narrowing dangerously. Although highly intimidated, Darkrai tried his best not to show it.

"Yes, I do. And you wanna know why, Cresselia?" His voice was surprisingly strong and Cresselia hesitated as Darkrai continued, not believing her ears at the following words. "The reason I'm so unfazed, so...'impartial', so uncaring of this whole thing is because I believe nothing's going to happen. We're all legendaries; we've all been through worse; we've all had close brushes with death, some more than others. And ya know what: for the most part, we all made it out okay." He smirked. "I'm a powerful Pokemon; you are too, Cresselia. Trust me, I know firsthand... These auras want to take our form and power; well, right now, they only managed to take one, potentially two..." He nodded at Articuno's limp form. "Think about it; two of them against a bajillion of us!"

Cresselia didn't wanna tell him that there was no such word as 'bajillion'. This was a whole new side, a more expressing side that explained why he is the way he is. He was on a roll and she wasn't going to stop it and risk losing it all.

"That's why, Cresselia. What you and everyone else thinks as a negative coldness, it's just that I believe that everything will blow over soon. Everything will be okay, Cresselia. Us Legendaries have been around since practically the beginning of time. And we're certainly not going anywhere."

Silence. Darkrai seemed to notice that all he basically did was rant and he was glad his black color covered the blush that would otherwise overtake his face. Boy, he must've sounded so stinkin' stupid! But surprisingly, Cresselia wasn't laughing or sneering at him as he expected and he stared at her almost curiously.

"That's...that's very nice, Darkrai..." She gave another smile. "Are you sure you're you today?"

"I'm not sure..." he answered honestly. What possessed him to talk like that? But whatever did...it seemed to make things better and lighter.

"Thank you." Okay, now he must be hearing things! Did...did his counterpart just _thank_ him? That's never happened before! There was never really anything that would warrant such a thing. And now... He froze with a confused expression, blue eyes wide.

"For what?"

"For everything you just said. You're right; we're not going anywhere. I mean, don't get me wrong, you're an asshole. But you're a lovable asshole." She offered another smile, this one the sweetest so far. Okay, now he definitely thought he was blushing visibly. He was about to snap at her to just shut up, but he couldn't work up the voice. So instead he nodded before turning to leave, but it seemed that he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

There was a soft grumble and they both turned their attention to Articuno. The Ice Bird was wincing heavily, auras already leaving her body through her open beak. Cresselia and Darkrai tensed as the aura coated the bird, and the Dark-type wasn't going to wait until the process finished. He powered up a Dark Pulse and before Cresselia could protest, he launched the attack right at the bird.

"Darkrai, don't!" A large explosion of smoke and power blew past them and the two had to huddle together to keep from being blown off. But the explosion began to settle and all was quiet. The two looked to the Ice Bird, who has been blown against the wall but...

It was too late. The bird's once blue feathers gleamed black. Even her tri-crest and long feathers was an even darker tone of black. The white feathers of her chest was a cold silver. And the eyes; the glowing red eyes snapped open and turned to them. Standing on her black, slight shakey legs, she smirked and spoke, tone mocking. "That Dark Pulse was very refreshing to wake up to. Hopefully, next time, you can make it a little bit stronger?"

Darkrai narrowed his eyes as Shadow Articuno glanced at her shoulder, at her treated and bandaged wound. "Aw, you guys even fixed me up. Thank you so much."

"Get out of Articuno. Now!" Cresselia demanded, the rings around her body flashing and sparking with anger. The shadow only tilted her head at this before laughing.

"Why on Earth would I do that?" She shifted her folded wings. "After all, why give up power like this?" Without warning, Articuno launched an extremely powerful Ice Beam right at Cresselia. This was not something anyone expected and the swan was hit and slammed mercilessly into the opposite wall. Shadow Articuno laughed in delight before lunging for the weakened moon Legendary and opening her beak to let out more auras for another infection. But Darkrai sure as hell wasn't going to allow such a thing and launched another Dark Pulse at her. Articuno saw the attack coming and jumped out of the way, the attack hitting Cresselia instead.

Darkrai felt his heart jump when his counterpart was hit and it was distracting enough for Articuno to slip out unnoticed. This was not good...

* * *

"Good girl, Karpie." Rachel cooes as she scratched the back fin of the red Fish Pokemon. The little Magikarp beamed and leaned into the contact, practically purring. The human grinned before standing and spreading her blanket across the grassy bank, sitting herself down and settling comfortably. It was a beautiful day, with sunny skies and an occasional cool breeze brushing the scenery. It was absolutely wonderful and it was hard for her not to relax. Stretching, she flopped onto her back, closing her eyes with a hum.

"Karp, karp, Magikarp!" Karpie chanted as she wriggled in the water happily, the sun gleaming against her scales. Rachel looked towards the enthusiastic Pokemon and smiled.

"Calm down, Karpie. Your gonna tire yourself out completely by the time Kyogre gets here." she muttered, succceeding in getting the fish even more enthusiastic. Typical behavior, especially when the Magikarp's Legendary 'owner' was brought up. Ever since the shadow incident, life has gotten considerably better for both parties. Kyogre and Groudon got together; Rachel, although jobless, was the happiest and most carefree she's been for a while; and Karpie, well, for once she was being appreciated for who she was. And who knows, maybe she'll start giving a good name for her kind, without having to evolve to prove her worth.

Splashing about even more, the young fish jumped and flipped into the air before pausing as she came to a stand still. She spotted something in the air and she struggled to look harder. What was that? Slightly alarmed, Karpie swam as close as she could to Rachel, muttering. But of all days, Rachel left her translator at home. It wasn't too much of a handicap, as the human still picked up the nervousness and glanced over at the horizon. She practically did a double take and sat up so quickly, she almost felt something pop.

"Whoa...That's...definitely not Kyogre..."

The wind picked up suddenly and Karpie quickly dove down in panic and Rachel jumped to her feet and took off into the brush nearby. More wind whipped up and then there was the sound of something landing by the lake.

Lugia folded his wings and looked around for the human, hoping he wasn't too late to catch her. Nobody was here, but... He spotted the abandoned blanket and glanced over at the brush, sensing the presence of a being. The girl; good, she was here. Knowing time was of the essence, but not wanting to further frighten the human, he put a gentle tone to his telepathic voice.

_"There is no threat here, little one. Step out from behind the bushes."_

Rachel stiffened upon hearing that voice. Certainly wasn't someone she's heard before. And it sounded kinda...echoey for a normal voice. She took the risk and peeked over the bushes, gaping immediately at the sight of Lugia. That was not something she expected. Kyogre, yes...but not this massive bird. Lugia easily noticed her nervous astonishment and gave a gentle smile to further calm her nerves, keeping up his gentle tone.

_"Are you the human Kyogre knows?"_

"I suppose so..." Rachael muttered as she stepped out of hiding and Karpie hesitantly surfaced. At least their visitor wasn't a dangerous Pokemon... The human never wished harder that the books she's read of Lugia being a very benevolent creature was true. It certainly took her by surprise that the giant Legendary could talk to her with his mind, but then again, he was a Psychic-type... She couldn't help but wonder if he could read minds too, but that seems a bit irrelevant right now. But one thing wasn't: "Where's Kyogre?"

Lugia's smile died and his general demeanor saddened. Rachel felt her heart skip a beat, knowing that this was not going to be a happy meeting. Even though she prepared for the worst, she still couldn't keep in a whimper when Lugia finally answered.

_"Kyogre, and the rest of us, are in grave danger." _

"W...What do you mean 'danger'?" She tried to keep her voice from shaking, failing miserably.

_"A few months ago, you humans created something...We all thought it was destroyed but..." _Even though they were no Psychic, Rachel and Karpie knew exactly where this was going. _"Those shadow auras are back. I don't know how, but they have returned, turning us Legendaries against each other. Ho-oh's already a shadow and Articuno..." _There was pain visible on the Legendary's features at the mention of the Ice Bird, and Rachel knew there must be some kind of special bond between them and thus was a bit hesitant to speak.

"Ho-oh and Articuno are...are shadow pokemon now...?" Rachael tentatively inquired, Karpie whimpering slightly. Lugia shook his head in response.

_"Ho-oh is, but Articuno's not. Not yet. Kyogre informed us that you may hold the key to stopping this chaos." _

"Me?" Rachel asked in surprise. "But-" She stopped herself in thought. She was just one girl, yes, but she recalled that she was of great help before. She remembered, -actual images of the events flashing in her head-, the purification of Shadow Kyogre and Shadow Groudon. It seemed to her and to the two Legendaries that love and care was the cure; the actual energy of intense positive emotion was the key. She didn't know how she could contribute, but she was willing to help. Glancing at Karpie, who paused for a moment before offering a smile and a nod, she turned back to Lugia and nodded herself. "Alright. Show me the way."

One last thing to do now that the human is willing to help. Lugia's scarlet eyes looked straight into hers, seeking any form of darkness or negativity in this human. After all, if one were to bring a human into a tower full of Legendaries, one had to make sure the human won't try anything treacherous. Almost all the Legendaries had experience with a greedy human at some point. It's best not to add tension to the situation. But like Kyogre before him, the Sea Guardian saw no malice in this human, only an innocent sweetness, much like that of a child. It was a very trusting feeling, and this was a very trustworthy human.

Nodding in return, Lugia lowered himself, the fins on his back flattening to stay out of the way for when she climbed on. Rachel understood the gesture and a heavy expression of disbelief overtook her face. Never had she imagined that she would ride on the back of a Legendary Pokemon; before Kyogre and Groudon, she never thought she'd even see a Legendary in person and that Richard's ambition was a fruitless one. Frozen, it was Karpie jumping into her arms that snapped her out of it and she dashed to the giant bird, placing Karpie aboard first before climbing on herself. A wave of excitement hit her as her fingers clenched the smooth silver feathers. Her scientist mind automatically analyzed the coat. It was very thick and tightly-packed and no doubt water-proof; the salt water of the sea probably never even touched his skin.

Glancing back to make sure Rachel and Karpie were secure, Lugia spread his wings and took off in only a couple of flaps. Soaring high up, Lugia gracefully circled to take his bearings before turning in the direction of Arceus' home and putting on a burst of speed. Rachel yelped in surprise and buried her face into the feathers, Karpie safe under her body. This took a bit of getting used to and it took a moment for Rachel to peek up and Karpie to open her eyes. This...this was incredible! Gaining some confidence, Rachel recovered from her cower-like position and felt the wind whipping her hair. Despite the grave situation ahead of her, she still felt delight in the here and now.

"Whooooo!" Rachel couldn't help but whoop, her sense of professionalism thrown to the wind. Even Karpie couldn't help but beam, sharing her human companion's enthusiasm. "This is...This is probably one of the greatest moments of my life!" She laughed and petted the slick feather coat beneath her grip. "You truely are a majestic Pokemon, Lugia."

_"Thank you."_ was all Lugia said, along with another nod, almost entirely focused on getting back to the others quickly, but not so quickly that he'll blow his passangers right off. But his focus was soon broken when he noticed something coming towards him. Narrowing his eyes, he picked up the pace just a bit before his senses finally sent an unsettling chill down his spine. There was the familiar feeling of darkness and evil and it wasn't long until he was face-to-face with what was once his counterpart.

"Oh my..." Rachel muttered, wide eyed as she and Karpie regarded the shadow before them. Fear gripped their hearts as Lugia stopped into a smooth hover, Shadow Ho-oh doing the same, her piercing red eyes scanning her target as a menacing smirk graced her beak.

"There you are, _dear counterpart_." The emphasized words dripped with mocking sarcasm. "I've been looking for you."

Lugia couldn't keep back a snarl, having a hard time believing what has happened to his lifelong friend. Being counterparts, they were like brother and sister; they grew up together. And now... "What're you doing here, shadow?"

"No need for such hostility." Ho-oh cooed with false sweetness before her own glowing eyes narrowed. "I think you know what I'm here for." A loud hiss was the response to that and the dark Pokemon chuckled before taking notice of the human. "Playing piggy-back with a human, Lugia? Where _is_ your sense of dignity, brother?"

"I'm not your brother. Not anymore." Lugia growled in a low voice and his growls only intensified when the evil creature responded.

"Ah, but you can be my brother again. Just come to our side of things." As was to be expected, Lugia spat in disgust. He recalled a much earlier incident regarding the existance of a Shadow Lugia. That project had nothing to do with this new phenomenon, but if anything, that just makes the whole thing worse. He had no intention to being one of _them_. He was about to say as much when Shadow Ho-oh continued. "Make it easy for yourself. Soon you and all your fellow Legendaries will be shadows." A slight pause as Ho-oh put on a thoughtful look and then another obnoxious smirk. "Even Articuno's turned to our side."

Rachel and Karpie yelped as Lugia jolted. The human had no idea what the conversation was about, but she had no doubt that it's a terrible situation. For a moment, all was silent except for the whooshing sound of wings. Lugia glared daggers at the shadow, his mind racing at the words and denial immediately making itself known.

"That's a lie. Articuno's infected, but she would never give up to the likes of _you_."

This only got a laugh from the shadow. "Is it that hard for the Great Sea Guardian accept the truth? No worries..." A few more chuckles came from her throat. "She's on her way here. To help take _you_ down." The shadow only had time to brace herself as a Hydro Pump slammed into her. It blasted her back a short distance before she tumbled out from under it, righting herself quickly and glaring at Lugia.

"You shadows really are vile, lying creatures. I guarantee that Ho-oh will be free and Articuno will be cured, even if I must do it all myself." Lugia hissed. Ho-oh did nothing, but her taunting smirk was back.

"A failed ambition. You're certainly very fast and very powerful, but if that Hydro Pump was anything to go by, you're not powerful enough." Next thing he knew, Lugia saw a Sacred Fire racing towards him and his ears was filled with screaming from his passangers. Not wanting to risk injury to the human and Magikarp, the silver bird put up a barrier around himself. The attack hit and Lugia strained to keep the barrier from breaking under the powerful fire attack, which was made even more powerful than ever before. Luckily, he didn't have to keep it up long before the attack ceased and the barrier disintegrated. However, he didn't get time to recover much before another blast of fire went for him.

Under quick reflexes, Lugia dodged to the side, dropping out of the path when the fire chased him. Ho-oh gave chase, aiming another fire attack and once more Lugia dodged it, climbing higher this time... right towards Ho-oh. He put up a barrier and slammed into her as he shot past. He typically tries to avoid physical contact in confrontations like this and now was no exception. But he certainly wasn't going to play the aggressor. It was too risky for his fragile companions. He was certainly faster than his evil ex-counterpart, easily dodging attacks and blocking the attacks he couldn't avoid with his Psychic barrier, although the latter was certainly difficult to maintain.

Those fire attacks were immensely powerful and those barriers were draining. He could only keep this up for so long and the shadow sensed this. And so during another launching of a Sacred Fire attack, being blocked by another barrier, she put every ounce of power she had into it, flying closer as she did so. The barrier began to crack and the Sea Guardian clenched his jaws in the effort of keeping it up. But it was no use. The energy wall shattered and Lugia took the hit right into his chest, succeeding in shielding his cargo, but more than knocking the wind out of himself. With a cry of pain, Lugia forced himself to jolt out of the way and tried to recover as soon as he could, doing his best to ignore the cackling of the shadow.

"Oh, come now. I'm expecting more from you, Lugia. Is running away the only thing you can do?" Shadow Ho-oh taunted. Lugia glared at her, eyes looking almost feral with anger. But still, he launches no attack.

"Fighting is not something I readily participate in. So I urge you to stand down, shadow. I wish no harm to Ho-oh."

"Ah, so your smart enough to know that hurting me will harm your counterpart, your practical sister. Kudos for that. Many of the other Legendaries had to learn that the hard way."

Lugia tried to growl in between his breaths, knowing this was a losing situation for him. He was tiring out and he had to get to Arceus' place quickly. But the shadow wasn't going to let him through, not without infecting him. She'll probably kill the human and Magikarp too while she's at it. He had to protect these two little ones, as they can end this madness. It's decided: he'll try to force his way back to Arceus' place...

Or die trying...

* * *

Wow, this is a bit longer than I expected, but I wanted to make up for lost years a bit. Seems it's too late to save Articuno and Lugia, Rachel, and Karpie are in huge trouble. Keep sticking around for the next chapter. Don't give up on this story and I won't either! :)


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